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English

ENGLISH

Vision

We hold the belief that the study of English is not just important academically and socially, but emotionally and intellectually.

We hope that all of our students succeed in English because we have made it one of their favourite subjects, and that they look forward to the challenge and enjoyment of their next English lesson. They should understand the importance and value of English, whilst being encouraged to acquire pleasure from reading and listening, and satisfaction from thinking, writing and speaking. We aim to develop our students to become literate, creative, thoughtful, challenging, aspirational and confident communicators and critics.

Teachers of English

Mr A Haque - Director of Faculty

Ms C Eastwood - Literacy Co-ordinator

Ms C Scarrott - English/ EAL

Ms F Ewas - English teacher

Mr L Manzini - Second in Charge

Mr M McTurk - Media/Film and English

Mr M Onwubuya - ATL Year 11

Ms S Gladstone - Assistant Principal

Ms S Naidu - Assistant Principal

We recognise that some young people lose interest in reading books during the years of key stage 3. We believe, however, that the enjoyment of reading is vital to personal development, literacy skills and future life chances. Therefore, we always look for new ways to encourage reading for pleasure both inside and outside the classroom. This commitment to reading and learning is supported through whole school literacy initiatives such as DEAR time (Drop Everything and Read) and through the different extracurricular and enrichment opportunities we offer: such as trips and residentials, after-school clubs and societies; and through our creative writing magazine, [sic].

We regularly review the teaching and learning that takes place within the department and aim to always be up-to-date with the latest innovations, technology and strategies to make our students’ learning safe and enjoyable; and to ensure their academic progress. We tailor our curriculum provisions across the Key Stages to ensure engagement, enjoyment and progress, are well-resourced and have a robust behaviour and safety policy. Tracking systems and interventions are embedded into our programmes of learning and these effectively support students when they drop below their potential. We are a department that understands that every learner has specific needs and we are committed to delivering a course which respects cultural identity and encourages our students to achieve their potential through respect and praise and through personal investment with their learning.

The Department of English at Kingsley Academy encourages our students to take their learning and “hold it up to the light/ like a colour slide” (Introduction to Poetry, Billy Collins). Only then, do we believe, will you see the flecks of light, the sparks of colour; the dissimilitude of languages and ideas and values and utterances that bounce of the page, punctuate our classrooms and shimmer silently through our corridors.

The Department of English at Kingsley Academy makes the following pledges to our students

We will provide expert guidance towards reaching your targets in English and making expected levels of progress.

We will deliver a wide and varied curriculum that engages you and meets your different needs and learning styles.

We promote a culture of creativity, diversity, tolerance and respect and will ensure that you have a safe and collaborative learning environment in which to find your voice.

We will provide extra-curricular help and support when you need it.

We offer clubs and societies where you can develop your interests or uncover new ones; and the platform to express yourself and see your work in print through our creative writing magazine [sic] and our department newsletter.

We will arrange visits and trips to enrich your learning experience and enhance your cultural capital.

We understand that each of you is an individual and we are committed to delivering a course which respects your cultural identity and encourages you to achieve your potential through respect and praise and through personal investment with your learning.

Key Stage 3 English Curriculum

The KS3 programme of study at Kingsley Academy encompasses the progression in knowledge, skills and understanding required to complete Key Stage 3 and to be prepared for the study of AQA GCSE in Key Stage 4.

KS3 English embeds opportunities to develop pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural understanding (SMSC). Through this development of SMSC, students are better able to understand fundamental British values (FBV) which include:

Democracy

The rule of law

Individual liberty

Mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.

This is achieved within the KS3 programme of study in the following ways:

As appropriate for the age of pupils, there will be material coverage of the strengths, advantages and disadvantages of democracy, and how democracy and the law works in Britain; in contrast to other forms of government in other countries. For example, in novels, plays, poems and non-fiction texts;

Provide pupils with the opportunity to learn how to argue and defend points of view both in written and spoken language activities;

Using teaching resources (novels, poems, plays and non-fiction texts) from a wide variety of sources to help pupils understand a range of faiths;

Using the role of extra-curricular activities for example [sic] publications (the department’s creative writing magazine) in promoting fundamental British values

The KS3 curriculum combines the richness of literary texts - which expose our students to the power of enjoying books - with a study of functional English skills that students will need outside the classroom and in the workplace.

Assessment without Levels (AwL)

With the termination of national curriculum levels at KS3 the department has introduced a system of assessment which measures students’ competence using a model framed around “I can” statements. These are the competencies and skills that students should be developing and demonstrating at each stage of their journey through KS3. Within each of these stages, students will either be working towards that stage, at that stage, or moving towards the next stage.

Meeting the needs of disadvantaged students

The English department works in close collaboration with both EAL and SEN departments to meet the needs of disadvantaged students. EAL pupils are usually withdrawn from English lessons to receive intensive language tuition at Key Stage 3; while LSAs actively support teachers in delivering lessons accessible to all.

Curriculum Maps

Units of work are accessed at the same point by all students in each year group and across the Key Stage (Years 7-9. Schemes of Learning are differentiated and linear. Studies in AQA Language Papers 1 and 2 are embedded within this curriculum map and assessed at regular set intervals. This exposes our students to the AQA (GCSE) Assessment Objectives (AOs) from year 7 onwards.

Curriculum Coverage at KS3

Modern novel

Paper 1 (AQA)

Play

Poetry

Paper 2 (AQA)

Spoken Language

KS4 English Language and English Literature

At KS4 students complete two GCSEs within the subject area: English Language and English Literature.

English Language

Specification: AQA

Code: 8700

Examination series will be graded through the new numerical system of 1-9

Assessed entirely through exams

Two distinct papers, each of similar length and demand to minimise assessment fatigue and encourage equal performance.

Integrated reading and writing tasks on both papers to support learning.

AO1: identify and interpret explicit and implicit information and ideas. Select and synthesise evidence from different texts

AO2: Explain, comment on and analyse how writers use language and structure to achieve effects and influence readers, using relevant subject terminology to support their views

AO3: Compare writers’ ideas and perspectives, as well as how these are conveyed, across two or more texts

AO4: Evaluate texts critically and support this with appropriate textual references

AO5: Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences. Organise information and ideas, using structural and grammatical features to support coherence and cohesion of texts

AO6: Candidates must use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation. (This requirement must constitute 20% of the marks for each specification as a whole.)

AO7: Demonstrate presentation skills in a formal setting

AO8: Listen and respond appropriately to spoken language, including to questions and feedback on presentations

AO9: Use spoken Standard English effectively in speeches and presentations

Students should:

read a wide range of texts from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, fluently and with good understanding, including literature and literary non-fiction as well as other writing such as essays, reviews and journalism

read and evaluate texts critically and make comparisons between texts

summarise and synthesise information or ideas from texts

use knowledge gained from wide reading to inform and improve their own writing

write effectively and coherently using Standard English appropriately

use grammar correctly, punctuate and spell accurately

acquire and apply a wide vocabulary, alongside a knowledge and understanding of grammatical terminology and linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language

listen to and understand spoken language, and use spoken Standard English effectively

English Literature

Specification: AQA

Code: 8702

Examination series will be graded through the new numerical system of 1-9

Assessed entirely through exams

All assessments are closed book: any stimulus materials required will be provided as part of the assessment

All assessments are compulsory

Exam Structure

Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19th-century novel

Paper 2: Modern texts and poetry

Assessment Objectives

AO1: Read, understand and respond to texts. Students should be able to:

maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response

use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations.

AO2: Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate.

AO3: Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written.

AO4: Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation

Students should:

read a wide range of classic literature fluently and with good understanding, and make connections across their reading

read in depth, critically and evaluatively, so that they are able to discuss and explain their understanding and ideas

develop the habit of reading widely and often

appreciate the depth and power of the English literary heritage

write accurately, effectively and analytically about their reading, using Standard English

acquire and use a wide vocabulary, including the grammatical terminology and other literary and linguistic terms they need to criticise and analyse what they read.

KS5 English Literature

At KS5 the department delivers A-level study in English Literature.

Specification: We follow the AQA GCE AS and A Level Specifications for English Literature A. The AQA website is www.aqa.org.uk

Code: AS (7711); A-level (7712)

In English Literature, as in all other school subjects, there are similarities and differences between A Level and GCSE study. At both levels, the subject focuses on reading and writing about novels, poetry and plays. As at GCSE, A Level English Literature assessment is generally made through the composition of analytical essays that show the breadth and depth of the student’s understanding and ability to analyse.

The principal difference is the much greater level of intellectual challenge faced at A Level. Our job in the English Department is to ensure that students are equipped with the skills they need to meet it. The student’s job is to rise to the challenge, get reading, and get involved in the discussion!

What will students learn?

A Level English Literature is regarded by the best universities as a “facilitating subject”. A good grade will tell people that you are a critical thinker with an analytical mind. As you study a range of literary texts, you will encounter characters, settings, ideas and stories that will enrich and challenge your understanding of the world and the people in it. To prepare you for degree-level study, you will read academic and theoretical writings that will help you to consider the different ways in which people make meaning out of texts. You will learn how to develop your own evaluative thoughts about what you have read, and to write a highly detailed and sophisticated argument about the many possible ways in which the written word can be interpreted.

Why study A Level English Literature?

Literature opens doors to history, philosophy, creative writing, science, politics, journalism, film and television, education, law, medicine – the list is probably endless really. Most importantly though, the best reason for studying literature is because you love reading, and you want to read further and wider than you have before.

How can I enhance my studies?

Wide reading is an integral part of the course, which students generally find rewarding and enjoyable. To support your studies you should also aim to attend as many literary events and drama performances as possible. During the course, theatre trips will be organised, and if you have any interesting ideas for such outings please suggest them to your teacher.

Assessment

Students will be assessed by public examination at the end of years 12 (AS) and 13 (A Level), and by a non-exam assessment in year 13 (coursework).
During the course of the two years’ study, students will be required to demonstrate their learning through a number of formative and summative assessment exercises. These will be set, marked and periodically moderated by teachers to ensure that students are making the expected levels of progress.

Assessment objectives

AO1 Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression.

AO2 Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts.

AO3 Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received.

3 texts: one prose, one poetry, and one drama, of which one must be written post-2000 (possibly: Oranges are not the Only Fruit (novel), Feminine Gospels (poetry, post-2000), A Streetcar Named Desire (drama))

Section A (set texts): One essay question on text from core set text list (25 marks)